Nuno Espirito Santo certainly didn’t wait to throw Keiber Lamadrid out into the cold following the Venezuela international’s shock arrival at West Ham United.
And we mean that literally.
The Deportivo la Guaira loanee is viewed as a first-team signing at West Ham United, his agent Karim Assafo insists. But without a competitive minute since the 2025 Venezuelan season finished in November, it was always going to take some time for Keiber Lamadrid to get up to speed.
What do you notice about Keiber Lamadrid’s FIRST West Ham goal? ⚽ 🇻🇪
He looks pretty special, doesn't he…
For Nuno Espirito Santo, adapting to the famously bitter English winter is just as important as getting minutes in the legs. The Hammers boss made the decision to place the 22-year-old with Greg Lincoln’s reserves for Monday’s 3-3 draw at Middlesbrough.
Keiber Lamadrid scored a with stunning left-footed finish only 12 minutes into his West Ham career. The London Stadium newcomer brings an ‘eye for goal’, Venezuelan analyst Richard Mendez explained, and talk about creating a good first impression.
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Nuno Espirito Santo was behind Karim Lamadrid’s West Ham United reserve outing
The aforementioned Assafo, speaking to Union Radio News, is just happy to see his client show that, yes, he can do it not on a rainy night in Stoke but on a biting evening in Bishop Auckland.
“Something unprecedented has been achieved for Venezuelan football. It’s the first time that a player has been transferred directly from the Venezuelan league to the Premier League,” Assafo says.
“A player who has had just 12 minutes of national team football… His signing has had an impact ,not only at the national level, but right here in England, because many people have asked how West Ham managed it!
“The coaching staff, led by [Nuno] Espirito Santo, asked him to play with the Under-21s. Forty-five minutes so that he could acclimatise, adapt to all things different.
“This is a different kind of football – completely different, with a much more varied pitch, faster, under certain conditions, different climates… Keiber had never been to a place at 0 degrees with a wind chill of minus-four, in the rain!
“[They wanted] to observe a little how he would behave, but I reiterate that the transfer went directly to the West Ham first-team.”
Lamadrid was stunned when his Premier League chance arrived
Lamadrid will spend the next few months on loan in East London. West Ham also have the option to sign the winger permanently for around £1 million. Hammers News have been told that Lamadrid is viewed as a ‘lottery ticket’ signing; ‘Low risk, potentially high reward’.
West Ham were ‘pleasantly surprised’ by Lamadrid’s fitness levels, meanwhile. So much so that he was thrown in from the start against Middlesbrough. Lamadrid was on the scoresheet alongside Preston Fearon and Josh Ajala as the visitors raced into a 3-0 lead. Boro would claw back a point, though, with the new signing watching the second half from the bench.
Assafo confirmed last week that clubs in the Middle East and Colombia showed an interest before an offer arrived from England. An offer few were expecting.
It remains to be seen when a chance will appear for him on the first-team stage, with West Ham travelling to Burnley on Saturday.
Just how IMPORTANT is this Burnley match for West Ham? 🫨
The very definition of a 'six-pointer'
“For me, a lot of surprise. The moment the offer arrived by email, well, I started investigating whether it really was true,” Assafo says.
“When [Lamadrid] saw the email, I mean, there was a silence of approximately two minutes! He didn’t react and the only thing he said in the end was; ‘Well, Mr. Karim, I don’t know, I’m in shock if this is true. Well, I don’t know what to say to you right now. Let’s talk in a little while and you explain everything clearly.'”
“The club paid £200,000 for the loan for six months. It wasn’t about money. Nobody was worried about what they were going to pay.”
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